Aggression
by LostinOblivion
Summary: Cassie hated Emily, because Emily had something she wanted very badly...Matt Flannery.
1. Chapter 1

Emily was maybe a little too happy to see the coffeemaker in the CNU this morning. It had been a long night last night without Matt, and an upleasant morning so far. But watching the hot black liquid pour into her FBI-issue mug like silk, made her feel just a little bit better.

She had to clean her apartment, and get laundry done last night, it wasn't an option. She just couldn't put it off anymore. When she expressed as much to Matt, he'd kissed her neck, and offered to go home with her, but she used every ounce of self-control she had to push him away. If he went home with her, she'd never get anything done. She was right, and without him, she was able to get everything she needed to done. However, she didn't count on not being able to sleep without him next to her.

How long had it been since they hadn't spent the night together? She couldn't even fake a guess, it was so long ago. They been together over a year now, with only a few fights here and there. It was a record for her, and probably a record for Matt too. But last night, she'd barely slept, tossing and turning, unable to get confortable. She gave up at six, and used the extra time to pack a large bag, which she would be taking to Matt's tonight.

"Hey Emily," Cassie Morris greeted, filling her own coffee mug. She smiled, falsely pleasant, like a lion from a zoo: tame enough, but she'd rip her coworker's throat if given the chance.

"Morning Cassie." Emily tone wasn't quite so pleasant. Cassie hated her, and Emily held no delusions to the contrary, so she was always weary around the newer negotiator.

"You look tired. Matt a little too much for you to handle?" Sweet smile plastered on her face.

Emily ignored her comment, not in the mood to fight with anyone. Matt was the reason Cassie hated her so much, because Emily was the reason Cassie couldn't get into his pants. Instead of accepting it and moving on, or being mad at Matt for turning her down, she'd decided to take it out on Emily. Over the last few weeks, she'd brought new meaning to the term passive-aggressive.

"What's the matter, you two aren't fighting are you?" Cassie didn't bother to hide how much she enjoyed that thought.

"Morris stop antagonizing Lehman," Cheryl growled entering the small room. She needed coffee and was unhappy to see the two women anywhere near each other.

Everyone knew what was going on between them, and tried to help keep them from crossing paths. Emily was behaving better than anyone had right to expect, and hadn't risen to Cassie's bait yet. She insisted that it was a skill learned through high school--ignore them and they get bored and go away. Only Cassie wasn't going anywhere.

"I'm not antagonizing her," Cassie insisted, offended.

"Sure you aren't. Just know that when she hits you, I won't punnish her for it." Cheryl dropped her warning, and headed back to her office.

Emily walked out with her eyebrows raised in amusement. Everyone kept expecting her to deck Cassie, but as obnoxious as the other woman was, Emily didn't want to hurt her. Though there were those moments where she held her fists clenched at her sides.

"Hey Morning, I missed you last night," Matt greeted his girlfriend with a very chaste kiss, as she entered their cubicle. Cheryl said no PDA in the office, but she could cut them slack once.

"Mmm, me too, but I've got a bag of clothing, won't have to go back to my apartment for a while," she promised him, a sleepy smile already blossoming on her face.

"Excellent...you okay, you look a little tired?"

"Yeah, I just couldn't seem to get to sleep last night." She felt better though now than she had. A little coffee, a little Matt, and suddenly the day looked less gloomy. And, like any other day, they got down to work, namely, paperwork.

--

An hour later, Emily was in the file room, struggling to find a file for a two-year-old case that was finally making it to trial. The attorneys on the case had spent those two years arguing if the HT could plead extreme emotional distress, aka temporary insanity. If he got off on that charge, he'd get some face time with a shrink, and maybe a stint in a psychiatric hospital. From what Emily remembered, which at this point, was very little, the diagnosis didn't fit him.

The problem was, the damn file wasn't anywhere.

"Oh hey Emily," Cassie greeted, flowing smoothly into the room. She had her shit together, and liked everyone to know it.

"Cassie," Emily responded out of pure politeness. The last thing she needed was more alone time with Cassie, but apparently it was her day for it.

"You lose something?"

"No, just trying to find a file from a couple years ago." Emily continued plowing through drawers. It wasn't under M for Murphy, so she was just looking through all of them.

"What case?"

"Sebastian Murphy, before you were here." Emily didn't even look up this time, she'd didn't have time to get into whatever conversation-cat fight Cassie was undoubtedly trying to gode her into.

"Oh, I've got that one on my desk." Bright, chipper smile.

"What? Why?" Emily stood straight, looking at her, annoyed now.

"Well everyone is always saying how good you and Matt are together. I was curious, so I grabbed a few of your case files, interesting stuff."

"Right. Can I get it from you then?" At least she could stop searching for it now.

"I'm not quite done with it yet." Still with the smile, as if nothing in the world could go wrong for her.

"You don't actually need it for anything, so can I get it from you?" Emily asked again, swallowing any annoyance, and striving for patience and politese.

"What's the sudden rush for it, the case is two years old?"

Emily breathed in deeply, stealing her jaw, before answering. "Cassie, it's my case, I'm going to have to testify soon, please give me the file."

"Well sure, why didn't you just say that?" Cassie turned and walked out of the file room, while Emily counted silently to ten before following her.

"Here you go, interesting case, a city bus and all." She handed the thick file to Emily.

"No Bronson was on the bus, Murphy was the theatre." Emily was pretty sure she remembered her own cases.

"No, I was just reading this one. Murphy is the bus driver on the city bus, you lost a hostage, don't you remember?"

Emily frowned. She remembered the bus case and the kid that died, but she would have sworn that was Bronson. She opened the folder, and read the first few lines of her own hand-writing. Cassie was right, Murphy was the bus.

"You getting a little scattered Emily?"

"It was two years ago, I've had a lot of cases since then."

"Yeah, but you lost a hostage in this one, you should remember that. Maybe you need some time off." Fake concern was plastered all over her face.

"I'm fine, Cassie. Thanks for the file."

"You sure? You know, by the looks of that case, you aren't as good together as everyone thinks. You screw up in the field, Matt could get hurt."

Emily didn't even respond, she just walked back to her cubicle and fell into the red chair, her chair according to Matt. She was about to study the file when it dawned on her that she had a class that started five minutes ago.

"Shit, shit," she cursed to herself, dropping the file, grabbing her bag, and hurrying to the elevator.

Truth be told, Emily was exhausted from more than just a sleepless night. Washington had her re-editing her manual, updating it, and adding more ancedotes from her own cases. That ontop of classes, negotiations, and paperwork were getting to be a little much for her to manage. She just wasn't prepared to admit it yet, especially not to Cassie Morris.

--

An hour and a half later, Emily was in the ladies room down in HRT, regrouping and mulling her conversation with Cassie over in her head. She leaned with her hands on the edges of the sink, staring into the mirror. How could she have mixed those cases up? A fifteen year-old boy died in one, how could she forget that? You shouldn't forget it when you screw up and someone dies. No one should be that cold. She hadn't really forgotten though, just mixed them up...oh hell, who was she kidding? It was just as bad.

Then there was her comment about Matt, who she knew hadn't been getting enough of her attention lately. Two months ago, a profiler had suddenly burnt out. He begged for a transfer, he just couldn't do it anymore. That was one area the Bureau won't fight their employees on, they wouldn't force anyone to stay in Profiling.

So, Emily picked up the class he was supposed to teach. Sure, she had more experience in negotiating, and certainly prefered it, but she'd been a good profiler. So she agreed to handle his class. Then Washington called about the book, handed over a ten page description of what they needed, and told her to get it done. Yes sir, she told them, and jumped into that as well.

Things didn't slow down in the CNU just because she was overloaded with work. There was the usual fieldwork, the usual paperwork, the usual testimony to give now and again. She spent her days working, her evenings catching up on work, and her nights sleeping. That didn't leave much time for Matt, especially since they fit friends in on the weekend, and god knows, she played catch-up then too.

He hadn't complained yet, miraculously. She'd been falling asleep right after sex, had no energy for spontanety. Hell, she barely had the time or energy to straighten her hair, and no matter how much Matt insisted he liked her curls, it didn't change that her hair had become a puffy, frizzy mess. As for make-up, she covered the dark marks under her eyes, and that was it, unless they were going out.

Even that had become rare. Last time they went to Sloan's with everyone, she'd fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. HRT got a kick out of it, and Matt insisted he hadn't minded, but to be honest, she was a little embarassed.

Then she thought about Cassie Morris, and how polished and together she was. While Emily felt, and looked, like she left peices of herself in a hundred different places, Cassie was as together as they come. She did her hair and makeup so that she was supposed to be noticed, her clothing and accessories were carefully selected, and she never forgot when she was supposed to be anywhere. She was also twenty-nine.

Emily felt old and worn out.

"Hey Em, what are you doing down here?" Lia suddenly popped in the bathroom.

There weren't any women in HRT now, so the bathroom was always empty, but of course, Lia would be down here, visiting and flirting with Duff.

"Hiding."

"Oh? From what...or is that who?"

"Life, Matt, Cheryl, Cassie, everyone...I don't know." Emily shook her head in exasperation at herself.

"Okay, life I get. Cassie is a bitch, so her I get. But why Matt, and why Cheryl?" Lia stood beside her, puzzled expression on her face.

"Cheryl, because I can't handle anymore work right now. I just got word they're sending someone to audit my classes for the rest of the week, even the damn profiling class."

"And Matt?" Lia watched the last bit of persistant energy drain from her friend.

"We haven't had sex in a week."

"So?"

"That's a long time for us, Lia. I don't have the time or energy to be his girlfriend anymore." Admiting that outloud send a ball of fear burning in her stomach, and if she'd still been looking in the mirror rather than letting her head fall toward the sink, she would have seen sadness sweep across her features.

Lia was torn between laughing and feeling sorry for her. A week, one measly week had her worried? But, then seeing her friend, it looked like the negotiator just wanted to cry.

"Alright, first, a week isn't bad. You'll survive a week, and so will Matt. Second, please tell me you aren't thinking of breaking up with him?" It sounded so wrong, Lia had trouble even saying it.

"I don't know, I don't want to, but...I forgot a negotiation, Lia."

"You've been doing this a long time, I think we all forget a few here and there." The sudden topic change startled her, but Lia kept up.

"Yeah, well a kid died during this one. I misjudged the HT and a kid died. Now, I can't even remember the name of the HT."

"And who exactly is lining up to crucify you for that, you know besides you?" Lia asked her, one eyebrow raised. It was like Emily to beat herself up for something, but it wasn't like her to hide in the bathroom and feel sorry for herself.

"Lia seriously, what kind of person forgets that? I'd either have to be an egomanical self-involved bitch, or I'm actually loosing it." She was back to staring in the mirror, finding that easier than looking into her friend's eyes.

"Egomanical self-involved bitch, well I know someone who fits that--whoa, on god, that's it! You're actually listening to that wench, aren't you?" Lia thrust her hands on her hips, angry now.

"I assume you're talking about Cassie?" Wench wasn't exactly common terminology for Lia.

"Who else? You are listening to her, aren't you?"

Emily didn't comment, just looked back toward the sink.

"Damn it Emily, she's been trying to break you for a month now, and you're actually letting her!"

"You're being melodramatic, Lia. She's trying to make me miserable. "Break me" sounds a little too machiavellian."

"Emily, stop being so nice. She wants you in peices, and Matt in her bed." Lia was usually very patient, but right now, she wasn't feeling it.

"What do you expect me to do, Lia? Scratch her eyes out?"

"Cute. Though everybody has been waiting for you to deck her, nobody would blame you."

"I'm not going to assault one of my coworkers. This whole thing is ridiculous." Emily threw her hands up.

"Well, it's going to go on until you get in her face a little," Lia insisted. Some woman playing at Duff like that, Lia would have a very harsh talk with her.

"Jesus Lia, we aren't a bunch of high school girls fighting over some guy. There is no fight, she has no claim over Matt!" Emily was getting frustrated.

This whole thing was asinine. They were professionals, colleagues, not a couple immature kids. And, Matt wasn't some high school fling; they were in an adult relationship. Hell, if Emily wasn't such a chickenshit with relationships, she'd admit that they were in love.

You don't mess with that.

"Then you need to make her see that," Lia said quietly. Emily had a point, but Cassie was playing by high school rules.

Emily didn't respond, just continued looking at Lia, jaw set and tense, hand on her hip. She was not a happy woman.

An hour later she realized, though she was unhappy then, she could be a whole lot unhappier. She ran into Duff outside interrogation two, he was peaking in through the glass window in the door, looking puzzled. He turned and said hello to her, and when he turned back to the window, his eyes widened, and he cursed. Emily tried to peak in the window with him, he tried to hold her back, but she got a look, and her blood began to boil.

Cassie Morris had her lips suctioned to Matt's mouth, and it looked like she was trying to suck his soul out. Knowing Cassie, she may well have been.

_

* * *

_

A/N: Still writing 'In a Night', just not feeling like writing anything involving hospitals, doctors, or mysterious maladies...too close to home right now. Had most of this written, added some and turned it into a two parter. Oh, and I yanked the storyline from 'Witness', to clarify for anyone that recognizes it.


	2. Chapter 2

Emily pushed open the door, a storm of angry suddenly appearing to the kissing couple. They broke apart, Matt wide-eyed, desperately wiping off his mouth, and Cassie looking like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary.

"Em, I didn't--" Matt started to try and explain, but Emily cut him off with a hand.

"Matt, please leave us alone a minute, I need a word alone with Cassie." She was perfectly calm, she even sounded almost pleasant.

"Em, I don't think that's a good idea."

"I don't care. Outside now, please." She didn't look at him as she spoke, only at Cassie, who wasn't looking the least bit troubled.

Matt held up his hands, shaking his head, and backed out the door. "I'll go gather bail money."

Emily didn't even flinch.

"Are you going to hit me, Emily?" Cassie smiled, she knew the other woman wouldn't hurt her.

"No Cassie, not everyone here feels the need to act like a child." Emily paused, glaring at the other woman. "I do need to get a few things straight with you though."

"Oh, like what?"

"This isn't high school, Cassie. You can't dump your boyfriend during first period, and try to steal someone else's during lunch period. It doesn't work that way anymore. Adult relationships aren't disposable, they actually mean something to the people in them. And often enough, they're strong enough to survive people like you. Do you understand what I'm telling you?" Emily was drawing on every ounce of patience she possessed to keep from yelling. Screaming at the woman might feel good, but it wouldn't help matters.

"Yeah, you're saying I'll lose." Cassie still didn't seem troubled, just kept looking at Emily like the other negotiator wasn't worth her time.

Emily closed her eyes and breathed in trying to maintain her patience. She exhaled slowly, and looked again at Cassie.

"No Cassie, what I'm trying to tell you is that there is nothing for you to lose. This isn't a game, Matt isn't some toy to fight over, and you have no claim over him anyway."

"And, what about when Matt gets tired of you working so much, and starts to miss having a girlfriend? What then Emily?"

"That's for me to worry about, not you."

"Oh, but it's for me to look forward to." Cassie had frowned briefly, but she was smiling again.

"I'm trying very hard to be diplomatic about this, Cassie, but you still don't seem to get it. Do you want me to be nasty and cruel? Is that what it will take?"

"Be whatever you want Emily, I'm not afraid of you."

"God, why won't you listen!" Emily growled at the ceiling, finally forced to release some of her frustration. It surprised Cassie enough for her to take a step back.

"I don't want you afraid of me, I just want you to hear me for once. Cassie, Matt and I risked our careers and reputations to be together, and we've stayed together for over a year now. Do you really think _you_ can break us up?"

"You're awfully confident." Cassie thrust her hands on her hips, glaring at Emily.

"Even if we did break up, what makes you think he'd come to you?" Emily challenged.

"Because he's a man, and I'm a woman with open arms, willing to kiss his wounds and make it all better. Besides, he wants me, I can tell," she said smugly.

"Cassie, Matt thinks you're a tacky, tasteless bitch. You pursued a guy you knew was in a serious relationship, and when he made it clear he wasn't interested, you punished his girlfriend. He hates you, he's just too professional to show it."

"If he's so professional, how did he end up in his partner's pants?" Cassie spoke with all the nastiness a woman scorned can.

"I invited him!" Emily snapped, thoroughly pissed.

"Oh, as if that doesn't make _you_ trashy and tasteless!"

"No, that makes me horny!"

"So, you agree you would have jumped whoever was in that room!"

Emily was about to yell back, but put a hand up, turning her head slightly away, and inhaling and exhaling slowly.

"No, I was pretty much just hot for Matt," she said, in a much calmer tone.

Cassie's eyes narrowed at Emily, and without a word she headed toward the door.

Once Cassie passed by, Emily turned and called her back, still way too calm for having waged a catfight.

"Cassie..."

The other woman turned back, anger burning in her eyes, jaw tight with fury.

"You antagonize me again, I'll report you for unprofessional behavior, and if you ever touch Matt again without his explicit consent, I'll make sure he files a sexual harassment complaint against you." Words hanging in the air, Emily slid by her now wide-eyed coworker.

"Bitch," Cassie whispered as Emily passed her.

"Right back at you," Emily hissed softly, smile on her face.

By the time she got out of the interrogation room, her four closest friends, and the man that caused all the fuss were waiting for her, all with wide-eyes and pleased smiles.

"What?"

"Trust you to pass on the violence, and talk her into submission," Frank grinned.

Emily just shrugged. She didn't like to hurt anyone, even an evil bitch like Cassie. She turned to Matt, who looked distinctly unhappy, he knew his turns was coming.

"We need to talk," was all she said.

Matt held out an arm, gesturing her down the hall, to where there was a small conference room. She turned, and they walked to the room without a word. Their friends watched them disappear, and dispersed back to their work areas, Frank, Duff, and Lia bursting with gossip. Cheryl enjoyed the show, but she was the boss, it wasn't her place to gossip.

* * *

Two negotiators stood in awkward silence, both trying to figure out how best to start the conversation. Their fights were always the teasing, playful kind, with few exceptions. Both knew this wasn't going to be one of those times.

They turned to each other at the same time, and blurted, "I'm sorry."

"What? Why are you sorry?" Matt asked, completely perplexed as to why his girlfriend was apologizing when he was the one caught with someone else.

"I'm sorry that I let myself get so overwhelmed with work lately that I haven't had time for you. And, I'm sorry that I didn't realize that I was neglecting you sooner." Emily leaned, half sitting against the table, feeling the weight on the last few months on her like a coat made of lead.

Matt leaned against the wall, across from her, wearing a look that was part pleasant surprise, part mild confusion.

"You still look confused," Emily said, adopting her own puzzled frown.

"I guess I just didn't think it was an apology-worthy offense."

"You aren't upset that I've barely paid attention to you the last couple months?"

"You've got a lot to do with work now, I get it. It's okay." His tone was calm, not a hint of anger or resentment.

"We haven't had sex in a week."

"Yeah, that kind of sucks, but I've been in relationships where that's the norm." He was surprised to find it was bothering her so much. It bothered him, but he's a guy, not getting laid twice a day was supposed to bother him.

"But, I don't want that to be our norm. This, this is why relationships always end." Emily got up, and began pacing.

"Because people have sex less?"

"No, Matt, because people become complacent. Because, I'm so swamped and so tired all the time, I forget that you're there, or that you may not be there forever. Because you don't mind, since it's normal for couples to take each other for granted. I don't want that, Matt. I don't want us to move so far apart that we don't notice until it's too late." She stopped pacing the room, and stood in front of him, hands on her hips, face stricken.

"Alright, relax a minute," he said, moving toward her. He ran his hands up and down her arms, trying to soothe her.

"This really doesn't bother you?"

"Of course, it bothers me. I miss you. I just didn't see a need to stress you out more than you already are by whining that I'm not getting enough affection."

Emily grinned at his choice of wording.

"Besides, I figured once you finished the book, and classes ended, we'd take a couple days off and make up for lost time." He let his hands migrate from her arms to her waist, pulling her closer to himself.

"Oh yeah?" Emily grinned.

"Yep. I was thinking hotel by the beach, breeze blowing the ocean smell in through the open balcony, and a big bed that we never have to leave," Matt leaned so close as he spoke softly, his lips brushed her ear.

"Mmmm...sounds nice." More like feels nice. Emily felt a tingle travel through her body at his touch.

"I thought so. So, you have a month left of classes, and if I'm not mistaken the training manual is due at about the same time?"

She nodded.

"So, I can survive another month. Can you?" He asked, his fingers dancing lightly along her sides, up along her spine.

With his fingers touching her like that, Emily probably would have said yes to anything he asked. She did now, but as she leaned into him, pressing her body against his, she came to a conclusion.

"I need to discuss my workload with Cheryl. I can't do this again." She could have, but she wouldn't. There were some things more important than work.

She stood there pressing against him for several minutes, until a thought popped into her head, and she backed up quickly.

"Now, how about you tell me about that liplock with Cassie?"

Matt watched her fold her arms across her chest, and her body tense up. He was in trouble.

"It wasn't exactly consensual," he tried.

Emily raised an eyebrow, but offered no comment.

"She asked me in there to talk, I thought maybe she was going to apologize for being a psycho. First, she starts going off on how she always gets what she wants, and then on how I deserved better or something like that. Then before I know it, she's on me, and she was so forceful I had to open my mouth or I'd have choked."

"You'd have choked?" Clearly, Emily wasn't convinced.

"I swear, Em. I didn't go to kiss her, I didn't want to kiss her, and I tried to stop her kissing me, but the woman is like, like...like one of those sucker-fish. She just latches on and won't let go." Poor Matt was getting a little desperate, trying to make her understand.

Emily was struggling not to crack a smile at his analogy, but it was a challenge. She believed him, that he didn't want to kiss Cassie, but after seeing the other woman kissing him, she was feeling a little insecure.

"More importantly, I already have a girlfriend that I'm crazy about. I wouldn't blow what we have for any woman, and I'd hate myself if I ever hurt you like that. I don't want anyone else Em, I just want you." He spoke softly, holding her face gently in his hands.

Emily nodded, and moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and leaning against him again. That's it, that's what she needed to hear from him. That, even though she was kind of a mess right then, he still loved her, still wanted her.

"I love you too," she whispered against his neck.

He pulled her head up, and moved his lips toward hers. He was seconds away from actually kissing her, when Emily suddenly pulled back, shaking her head.

"What's wrong?" He asked concerned. How much more could he apologize?

"I can't...I can't kiss you when she's still all over you." Emily's face held a clear look of exasperation, part of that with herself.

"Seriously?"

"I can't, Matt. I just keep visualizing her mouth on yours, and I don't want to taste her when I kiss you." She frowned so hard, little lines appeared in her forehead, and her dimples were nowhere to be found.

"Okay..." He was at a complete loss.

"I'm sorry. I really want to kiss you right now, but I just can't with her all over you."

"So, what should I do?"

"I don't know...brush your teeth? Gum? Just get the sucker-fish out of your mouth." She gave him a little grin, to reassure him that she wasn't mad, just not willing to taste another woman when she kissed him.

Matt nodded, and settled for hugging her again, before directing them both out the door, and back to work.

* * *

Not quite half an hour later, Emily was walking out of Cheryl's office after a very productive meeting about her workload. Cheryl promised to talk to Profiling, and make sure they had someone to take over the class when new ones started. In the meantime, she instructed Emily to, if she got overwhelmed with class, have Matt handle a few of her negotiation classes. Emily raised an eyebrow at that; Matt wasn't really into the teaching thing.

Cheryl had insisted that he was a seasoned negotiator, and had wasted enough afternoons sitting in on her classes. He could handle a few classes. Not to mention that he was both her partner and her boyfriend, so he had a serious vested interest in keeping her from melting down under the strain of too much work.

With that settled, Emily felt much better. She could survive one more month of craziness. It would certainly help knowing that at the end of this last crazy month was a short vacation with Matt. A break from constantly ringing cell phones, psychos with guns, and deadlines from Washington. A break with plenty of time to make up for a week without sex. Now there was a powerful incentive.

Emily was feeling better than she had in weeks, when a face caught her eye. Cassie was coming her way, well not quite. She was looking at something behind Emily, and sure enough, Emily turned around to see Matt coming up behind her. Great, apparently Cassie still didn't quite get it. Short of hitting her, Emily could think of only one thing to do, to drive her point home.

She turned and met Matt halfway, not giving him a chance to speak, before backing him up against the wall. She pressed her whole body against his, and brushed her lips against his. It started out delicate, as if she were offering him a warning, then she went for the kill. Deepening the kiss, she pushed him even father into the wall, so there was really nowhere for him to go. Not that he was objecting, or trying at all to get out of her grasp.

Hands in his hair, mouth hungrily searching his, Emily looked every bit as aggressive as she'd been aiming for. It was barely a step above scent marking her territory, but some women just won't take a hint. Holding him against that wall, her whole body against his, she was making it clear--Matt was hers, and she would fight for him. Not a soul in the CNU would doubt that now.

Finally, she broke away, and moved back enough to let him off the wall. Matt's eyes were wide, and he was struggling to take in enough oxygen, His legs were actually a little weak, and he had to concentrate to stand. If he slid down that wall, the guys at the office would never let him live it down. He caught enough breath to utter the only words his mind could make.

"Holy shit."

Emily grinned. "You taste like mint."

"Yeah, travel case, overnight bag, toothpaste, mouth wash. Cleaned up. No more sucker-fish." He'd managed phrases; whole sentences were going to take another couple of minutes.

They turned to the side to see Cheryl shooting them a warning look, a very stern warning look. Emily nodded her head just the tiniest bit toward the individual behind them. Cheryl looked and saw Cassie. Her expression softened momentarily, before returning to the warning look. She wouldn't ream them out this time, but they better watch themselves. Emily nodded, she knew.

"Flannery, Lehman, saddle up, we've got a situation." Now that that was settled, she got down to the business at hand.

"What is it?" Emily asked, turning toward their cubicle.

"Jewelry store in the diamond district, owner hit the alarm, cops got there before the robbers got out...are you okay, Matt?" She looked at her former partner, brow furrowed in concern.

"Yep." He walked gingerly toward their cubicle, afraid any less careful, and he end up on his ass.

"You sure?" It was Emily who asked this time, worried she may actually have caused him a little damage.

"Yeah, I'm good," he said, but handed her the keys. "You better drive."

* * *

_ I really wanted Emily to haul off and hit her, but I couldn't see her hitting anyone. Shooting the bad guys sure, but smacking a coworker, I couldn't see it. So, that being said, I hope no one is too disappointed. Thanks for reading, and reviewing!_


End file.
